The White House on Wednesday said the Trump administration is moving forward to implement a recent presidential executive order on social media, ahead of testimony from top tech company executives on Capitol Hill.
The Commerce Department this week filed a petition to clarify that social media companies can be held liable if they “alter or editorialize users’ speech,” according to the White House.
The petition also requested that the Federal Communications Commission clarify online platforms’ curation methods.
“President Trump will continue to fight back against unfair, un-American, and politically biased censorship of Americans online,” said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
The announcement came hours before top tech company executives were slated to testify on Capitol Hill.
It also came after Twitter, Facebook and YouTube removed a viral video earlier this week of a doctor touting hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus and saying masks aren’t necessary.
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Mr. Trump had shared the video on social media.
“I don’t know which country she comes from, but she said that she’s had tremendous success with hundreds of different patients,” the president said on Tuesday. “And I thought her voice was an important voice, but I know nothing about her.”
